Why Texture is Key in Interior Design

If you were to make a list of things to consider when redesigning a room in your home, most people start off with the big issues. The top two are general style (such as classic, rustic, modern), and color schemes. It’s easy to overlook the important role that texture plays in interior decor, but it can make all the difference to the look of a room.

What is texture? And how does it work? There are two dimensions to texture. One is physical texture, or what it actually feels like: for example, rough or smooth. The second is how it appears to the eye; as patterned or plain, flat or relief. Of course the two can also be closely linked. Many things feel like what they look like, and will work accordingly in a design scheme.

Texture has implications for mood and atmosphere. Smooth surfaces can be softer on the eye, as well as to the touch. That’s what makes silky and satin materials good for soft bedroom decor. Rough surfaces are harder, and they are also ‘busier’ to the eye, which can make them especially useful for introducing subtle variation in an understated decor scheme.

To use texture effectively in a home decor scheme also means understanding how it interacts with light. Satin soft furnishings will look sharp and reflective in bright light. Textured materials or finishes that are subtle by day can be thrown into sharp relief by artificial light at night. The trick is to anticipate the effects and make them work to your advantage in a room.

The taste in contemporary decor is for simpler interiors, with carefully chosen forms and subtle color schemes. The look is inspired by minimalist architecture and design, which emerged in the middle of the twentieth century. Along with natural materials and neutral colors, carefully co-ordinated textures play an important role in the classic minimalist interior.

A color scheme based on neutral shades is restful and airy, but without a bit of flair it can be a tad boring. This is where texture comes into its own. With textured materials, it’s possible to create stylish visual interest in a way that is never too obvious or in-your-face. Woven textures, in rugs, soft furnishings and wicker furniture, do the job particularly well.

In fact, wicker ticks all the boxes for contemporary minimalist-inspired interiors, since it is made from natural materials with an organic feel, is available in a variety of neutral finishes and has a wide variety of textured finishes. Wicker accessories such as lamps and lampshades or rattan and wicker indoor planters can add just that textural interest to enliven a plain and simple room design. For texture, wicker and hand-woven textiles will take you a long way to achieving a successful interior.